Substrate finishing and niobium content effects on the high temperature corrosion resistance in steam atmosphere of CrN/NbN superlattice coatings deposited by PVD-HIPIMS

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the oxidation resistance of three PVD-HIPIMS CrN/NbN coatings, studying the effect of the surface finishing of the substrate and the role of niobium content into the coating composition. CrN/NbN nano-multilayered films on P92 steel were tested at 650°C in pure steam atmosphere. The mass gain was measured at fixed intervals to study their oxidation kinetics. The morphology and thickness of nanoscales were measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Characterization of coatings before and after the thermal treatment was performed by scanning electron microscopy-energy with facilities of dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). All coatings improved the oxidation resistance of the substrate material, but the best behaviour was exhibited by the CrN/NbN with the high niobium (Nb) content and deposited on the substrate with the finest surface finishing

Azokh caves excavations 2002-2006: Middle-Upper palaeolithic transition in Nagorno-Karabagh

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Novel aspects of the pathogenesis of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta in humans

Aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AAA) is a particular, specifically localized form of atherothrombosis, providing a unique human model of this disease. The pathogenesis of AAA is characterized by a breakdown of the extracellular matrix due to an excessive proteolytic activity, leading to potential arterial wall rupture. The roles of matrix metalloproteinases and plasmin generation in progression of AAA have been demonstrated both in animal models and in clinical studies. In the present review, we highlight recent studies addressing the role of the haemoglobin-rich, intraluminal thrombus and the adventitial response in the development of human AAA. The intraluminal thrombus exerts its pathogenic effect through platelet activation, fibrin formation, binding of plasminogen and its activators, and trapping of erythrocytes and neutrophils, leading to oxidative and proteolytic injury of the arterial wall. These events occur mainly at the intraluminal thrombus–circulating blood interface, and pathological mediators are conveyed outwards, where they promote matrix degradation of the arterial wall. In response, neo-angiogenesis, phagocytosis by mononuclear cells, and a shift from innate to adaptive immunity in the adventitia are observed. Abdominal aortic aneurysm thus represents an accessible spatiotemporal model of human atherothrombotic progression towards clinical events, the study of which should allow further understanding of its pathogenesis and the translation of pathogenic biological activities into diagnostic and therapeutic applications

Technical Design Report EuroGammaS proposal for the ELI-NP Gamma beam System

The machine described in this document is an advanced Source of up to 20 MeV Gamma Rays based on Compton back-scattering, i.e. collision of an intense high power laser beam and a high brightness electron beam with maximum kinetic energy of about 720 MeV. Fully equipped with collimation and characterization systems, in order to generate, form and fully measure the physical characteristics of the produced Gamma Ray beam. The quality, i.e. phase space density, of the two colliding beams will be such that the emitted Gamma ray beam is characterized by energy tunability, spectral density, bandwidth, polarization, divergence and brilliance compatible with the requested performances of the ELI-NP user facility, to be built in Romania as the Nuclear Physics oriented Pillar of the European Extreme Light Infrastructure. This document illustrates the Technical Design finally produced by the EuroGammaS Collaboration, after a thorough investigation of the machine expected performances within the constraints imposed by the ELI-NP tender for the Gamma Beam System (ELI-NP-GBS), in terms of available budget, deadlines for machine completion and performance achievement, compatibility with lay-out and characteristics of the planned civil engineering

Stroke in women — from evidence to inequalities

Stroke is the second largest cause of disability-adjusted life-years lost worldwide. The prevalence of stroke in women is predicted to rise rapidly, owing to the increasing average age of the global female population. Vascular risk factors differ between women and men in terms of prevalence, and evidence increasingly supports the clinical importance of sex differences in stroke. The influence of some risk factors for stroke — including diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation — are stronger in women, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy also affect the risk of stroke decades after pregnancy. However, in an era of evidence-based medicine, women are notably under-represented in clinical trials — despite governmental actions highlighting the need to include both men and women in clinical trials — resulting in a reduced generalizability of study results to women. The aim of this Review is to highlight new insights into specificities of stroke in women, to plan future research priorities, and to influence public health policies to decrease the worldwide burden of stroke in women